Washer agitator having collapsible fabric actuator means



April 12, 1966 G. B. LONG 3,

WASHER AGITATOR HAVING COLLAPSIBLE FABRIC ACTUATOR MEANS Filed Feb. 20,1964 *I L J 25211135 INVENTOR. George 8. Long His Attorney United StatesPatent M 3,245,235 WASHER AGITATOR HAVING COLLAPSIBLE FABRIC ACTUATORMEANS George B. Long, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General MotorsCorporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 20,1964, Ser. No. 346,268 6 Claims. (Cl. 68-17) This invention relates to adomestic appliance and more particularly to a new agitator forvertically reciprocatingly agitating in a clothes washer.

One type of domestic clothes washer uses vertical reciprocation forwashing clothes wherein an agitator is attached to the top of avertically reciprooable power shaft for movement in a water filled tub.As the agitator moves up and down, toroidal water currents are producedin the tub which causes the clothes to turn over and over-the flexing ofthe clothes in the presence of the surging currents serving to effect acleaning process.

Clothes tangling has been a troublesome problem in prior art clotheswashers of this type and such problems probably existed due to thedifferent orbiting speeds between the clothes and the washing fluid.Where the clothes are turning over in a restricted area at the radiallyouter portion of the tub and the water is toroidally circulatingthroughout the entire tub, relative movement is set up between differentgarments in the tub and an intertwining or tangling condition results.This invention is directed to a novel agitator for use with verticalreciprocation which overcomes these problems.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide animproved vertically reciprocable clothes washer agitator.

It is a more specific object of this invention to provide a clotheswasher agitator adapted for vertical reciprocation and including ahollow column, a pump ring below the column for producing toroidalcurrents in response to vertical reciprocation, and a thinfrusto-conical clothes actuator ring on said column above said pump ringfor ratcheting the clothes in an orbital path, the clothes actuatorring, due to its conical shape, retaining said shape when the agitatoris moving in one direction, but, due to its flexibility, collapsing muchlike an umbrella when the agitator is moving in the opposite direction.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention isclearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a schematic sectional view, partly in elevation, of aclothes washer provided with the novel clothes agitator of thisinvention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view, partly in elevation, of aclothes washer spin tub in combination with the agitator of thisinvention showing the clothes actuator ring in a collapsed positionasthe agitator moves upwardly; and

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the clothes actuator ringin an extended position as the agitator moves downwardly.

In accordance with this invention and with reference to FIGURE 1, aclothes washer 20 is comprised of a control housing portion 22 and anouter cabinet or casing 24. The casing 24 is generally divided into amechanism portion or compartment 26 and a washing portion or watercontainer chamber 28. A generally centrally located bulkhead 30separates the mechanism compartment 26 from the water container chamber28 which is further bounded by a cylindrical water container wall 32.Within the 3,245,235 Patented Apr. 12, 1966 water container 3-2 is aspin tub 34 having .a top opening 36 and a plurality of centrifugingoutflow ports 38. The ports 38 are designed to permit egress of waterfrom the tub 34 when the tub is rotated at high speed. For filling thetub 34 with water, a conventional water supply system 40 may beprovided. Within the tub 34, an agitator or pulsator 48 is adapted toreciprocate for producing toroidal circulation of water in the tub andfor agitating clothes therein. Thus, clothing placed within the tub 34is washed as the agitator 48 forces surging currents of washing fluidand detergent through the fabric. Conventional sequentially operatingtimer means, shown generally at 50 on the control housing 22, may beincluded to selectively admit water through the supply system 40, tospin the tub 34 .and to vertically reciprocate the agitator 48.

A prime moving system, shown generally at 52, in the mechanismcompartment 26 is adapted to selectively rotate the tub 34 andreciprocate the agitator 48. TWO agitating and spinning mechanismssuitable for such selective use with this invention are shown in thepatents to Sisson 2,987,904, issued June 13, 1961, and to Brucken3,087,321, issued April 30, 1963. Such mechanisms may be designed foragitate speeds of 330 and 220 1.75-inc-h strokes per minute with spinspeeds of 710 and 465 revolutions per minute. In addition to selectivelyoperating the spin tub and the agitator, the agitating and spinningmechanism 52 includes a pump for draining the water container 32 throughthe drain conduit 54.

Turning now to FIGURE 3, the novel agitator 48 of this invention isshown comprised of a lower pump ring 60, a hollow dispensing column 62thereabove and a cap 64 closing the open upper end of the column 62. Anut 66 holds the column 62, the pump ring 60 and the agitator shaft 68in assembled relationship. Carried on the outside of the agitator column62 is a fabric actuator ring 70. The ring 70 is constructedfrusto-conically of rather thin material so that it will hold its shapeas the agitator moves downwardly much like an umbrella in its raisedposition. This relationship is seen in FIGURE 3 wherein the outerperipheral edge 74 of the actuator ring 70 nudges the fabric coming incontact therewith to ratchet the garment around in its toroidal path.

On the up stroke of the agitator seen in FIGURE 2, the fabric actuatorring 74 collapses with the excess sidewall folding in rather undulatingfashion on itself-much like an umbrella in its collapsed position. Sincethe fabric actuator ring 70 collapses as the agitator moves upwardly,the fabric being turned over is permitted to move closer to the agitator48. This is so, because no repelling currents are set up by the ring 74as it moves upwardly which might cause the fabric to follow akidney-shaped circulatory path. In other words, the toroidal circulationof the water remains true and the turnover of fabric therein ishomogeneous, i.e., follows the same generally circular path as thewater. Then, when the agitator starts moving downwardly, the actuatorring 70 snaps to its extended position (FIGURE 3) to ratchet the clothesin a submerging direction along a toroidal path.

Although the collapsing fabric actuator concept of this invention couldbe embodied in other ways, the following dimensions have been foundparticularly effective. With reference to FIGURES 2 and 3, the pump ring60 may be formed of a bell-shaped cast urethane having a large diameterA of 9 /2 inches, a height B of approximately 4 inches and a small outerdiameter C at the top thereof of 3 inches. In cross-section (FIGURE 3),the inside upper diameter D may be 3 inches. A preferred bell shape maybe effected with an inside radius E and an outside radius F of 7 inches.The pump ring 60 will have a desired flexibility with a cross-sectionalthickness G at the peripheral edge thereof of 0.100 inch.

Turning now to the unidirectionally flexible or floppy fabric actuatorring of this invention (FIGURES 2 and 3), the ring may be formed as afrusto-conical ring 70 of cast urethane having the following dimensions:large diameter K of 6 inches, -a height L of 1 inches and a smalldiameter N of 3 /2 inches. Satisfactory flexibility has been obtained inthe ring 7 0 when the cross-sectional thickness M is 0.050 inch.

Washing agents may be placed within the hollow 75 of the agitator column62 by removing the cap 64. As the agitator 48 reciprocates, thesewashing agents will be dispensed past the support spider 76 and betweenthe bottom of the column 62 and the top of the pump ring 60 into the tub34.

It should now be seen that an improved agitator has been providedwherein one ring is used for setting up toroidal currents of washingfluid while a second fabric actuator ring serves to nudge or ratchet theclothes toward the surging currents initiated at the pump ring. Thefabric actuator ring is made collapsible so that fabric being washed maymove freely into close proximity to the agitator column during the upstroke thereof, thereby to be in an effective position to be ratcheteddownwardly by the fabric actuator ring when the agitator moves into itsdown stroke.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed,constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other formsmight be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A fabric agitator adapted for automatic linear reciprocation in acontainer of washing fluid comprising, pump means movable in onedirection for pumping said washing fluid in toroidal fashion when theagitator is reciprocating in the presence of said washing fluid, fabricactuator means in spaced relationship to said pump means and movable insaid one direction for submerging fabric coming into engagementtherewith, said fabric actuator means having sufficient rigidity toretain an extended shape when said agitator is moving in said onedirection for ratcheting the clothes submergingly toward said pumpmeans, said fabric actuator means having sufficient flexibility tocollapse undulatingly upon itself like an umbrella into a retractedshape when said agitator is moving in another direction for permittingthe clothes to move close thereto by preventing the formation ofrepelling fluid pressures in the vicinity thereof.

2. The fabric agitator of claim 1 wherein said pump means is a bellshaped urethane ring having outer end diameters of substantially 9 /2inches and 3 inches and a length of substantially 4 inches between saiddi ameters and wherein said fabric actuator means is a frusto-conicalcast urethane ring having outer end diameters of substantially 7 inchesand 3 /2 inches, a length of substantially 1 inches and a wall thicknessof substantially 0.050 inch.

3. A fabric agitator adapted for automatic linear reciprocation in acontainer of washing fluid comprising, pump means movable in onedirection for pumping said washing fluid in toroidal fashion when theagitator is reciprocating in the presence of said washing fluid, fabricactuator means in spaced relationship to said pump means and movable insaid one direction for submerging fabric coming into engagementtherewith, said fabric actuator means comprising a frusto-conical ringhaving sufficient rigidity to retain its frusto-conical shape when saidagitat-or is moving in said one direction for ratcheting the clothessubmergingly toward said pump means, said ring having suflicientflexibility to collapse undulatingly upon itself like an umbrella whensaid agitator is moving in another direction for permitting the clothesto move close thereto by preventing the formation of repelling fluidpressures in the vicinity thereof.

4. The fabric agitator of claim 3 wherein said ring is urethane having awall thickness of substantially 0.050 inch.

5. In combination, a tub adapted to enclose a washing fluid and containfabric, a fabric agitator adapted for automatic linear reciprocation insaid tub, and automatic means for reciprocating said agitator, saidagitator comprising pump means movable in one direction for pumping saidwashing fluid in toroidal fashion to effect fabric turnover when theagitator is reciprocating in the presence of said washing fluid, fabricactuator means in spaced relationship to said pump means and movable insaid one direction for submer ging fabric coming into engagementtherewith, said fabric actuator means comprising a frustoconical, ringhaving suflicient rigidity to retain its frustoconical shape when saidagitator is moving in said one direction for ratcheting the clothessubmergingly toward said pump means, said ring having suflicientflexibility to collapse undulatingly upon itself like an umbrella whensaid agitator is moving in another direction for permitting the clothesto move close thereto by preventing the formation of repelling fluidpressures in the vicinity thereof, thereby to facilitate said fabricturnover homogeneously throughout the cross-sectional area of said tub.

6. The combination of claim 5 wherein said pump means and said fabricactuator means are carried on the outside of a hollow column, the hollowof said column being in communication with said tub for dispensingWashmg agents from said column into said tub.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,338,277 4/1920Beatty 68-215 2,303,940 12/1942 Kuhn 68-131 2,471,876 5/1949 Kuhn 68-1312,522,242 9/1950 Wagner 68--l31 X 2,990,709 7/1961 Bochan 68-1313,091,108 5/1963 Martin et al. 6817 3,091,954 6/1963 Bullock et al. 6853X FOREIGN PATENTS 609,985 10/1948 Great Britain.

IRVING BUNEVICH, Primary Examiner.

1. A FABRIC AGITATOR ADAPTED FOR AUTOMATIC LINEAR RECIPROCATION IN ACONTAINER OF WASHING FLUID COMPRISING, PUMP MEANS MOVABLE IN ONEDIRECTION FOR PUMPING SAID WASHING FLUID IN TOROIDAL FASHION WHEN THEAGITATOR IS RECIPROCATING IN THE PRESENCE OF SAID WASHING FLUID, FABRICACTUATOR MEANS IN SPACED RELATIONSHIP TO SAID PUMP MEANS AND MOVABLE INSAID ONE DIRECTION FOR SUBMERGING FABRIC COMING INTO ENGAGEMENTTHEREWITH, SAID FABRIC ACTUATOR MEANS HAVING SUFFICIENT RIGIDITY TORETAIN AN EXTENDED SHAPE WHEN SAID AGITATOR IS MOVING IN SAID ONEDIRECTION